Oldtown News

My look at the issues of our Oldtown neighborhood and other political news

Sunday, June 15, 2008

PETER LADNER STATEMENT ON VISION NOMINATION

JUNE 15, 2008

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Michael Meneer, 778-990-0464; Bob Ransford, 1-866-824-8337

NPA MAYORAL NOMINEE STATEMENT ON VISION NOMINATION

Ladner Congratulates Robertson on Nomination Victory

VANCOUVER – Vancouver City Councillor and NPA Mayoral Nominee Peter Ladner made the following statement about the results of Vision Vancouver's nomination meeting.

"I congratulate Gregor Robertson on his Vision Vancouver mayoralty nomination. Members of Vision Vancouver had to choose from three qualified candidates, each of whom would present a defined candidacy for voters in the upcoming election. I haven't had the opportunity to work with Gregor Robertson in the past, but I appreciate the mix of business and provincial political experience he brings to this race.

I look forward to the upcoming campaign and to the free and respectful exchange of ideas and perspectives. I look forward to the dialogue with our citizens across the city and to building an NPA team comprised of diverse candidates who are first and foremost committed to good government, not political ideology.

I look forward to the dialogue with Gregor Robertson, as we compare our visions and plans for the City of Vancouver, and to a civil competition that lives up to the high expectations of our citizens."

GREGOR ROBERTSON WINS

Oldtown NewsVancouver, BC

GREGOR ROBERTSON WINS

It has been annnounced in the last few minutes that Vancouver-Fairview MLA Gregor Robertson has won the Vision nomination.

Congratulations to all the Vision candidates, Councillor Raymond Louie, Park Commissioner Allan De Genova and MLA Gregor Robertson for putting their names forward and providing citizns a variety of candidate choices.

STILL NO VISION WINNER at 8 PM

It is now 8 pm--three hours after the polls closed at the Vision nomination convention and as yet--no announced winner.

Frances Bula had projected on her blog that results would come in around 6:45 ish and here it is 75 minutes later and still no results.

During the wait, I spoke with former COPE Councillor, Tim Louis, who is at home with partner Dr Penny Parry eagerly awaiting results. Mr. Louis figures Mr. Robertson will win on the first ballot because of his huge machine.

I'm still sticking with a Louie win and if he loses badly, I will look like a fool but such is life.

Although Mr. Robertson has had a large machine and his campaign has compared itself to Senator Barack Obama, I'm not convinced though that his supporters, if he does win, can sustain their campaign against the more experienced Councillor Peter Ladner.

With the vote count now entering into the 4th hour, chances are there has been many challenges to Councillor Louie votes, especially if Mr. Louie is within striking distance of Mr. Robertson.

Most pundits believe MLA Gregor Robertson to be leading on the first vote and whether he captured enough second place votes from Commissioner Allan De Genova who many predict will be trailing in third place is anyone's guess.

Mr. Robertson though could fool us all and win as former Councillor Louis predicts with 50% plus one on the first ballot.

Mr. Louis could be correct, however, if this is the case one would assume that the count would have been relatively easy.

MEGGS CITES GLOOMY DAY FOR NPA but VISION'S VOTING DAY SPELLS DISASTER

Oldtown NewsVancouver, BC

MEGGS CITES GLOOMY DAY for NPA but VISION'S VOTING DAY SPELLS DIASTER

Carlito Pablo of the Straight, reporting from the Vision Nomination convention has potential Vision Council candidate, Geoff Meggs, articulating the Vision voter turn-out spells a gloomy day for the NPA.

It is being alleged that these voting citizens have been challenged by the Gregor Robertson campaign regarding their legitimacy to vote.

Anytime a municipal party mistreats ethnic citizens which challenging their right to vote does, spells disaster since it projects that the party is intolerant.

Thankfully, due to the investigative nature of Mr. Pablo's reporting from the the Vision vote, citizens are becoming aware that disaster may loom ahead for Vision.

If by chance, Councillor Louie goes down to defeat in a close vote, which we should know around 7 pm, there will be widespread speculation that the Vision vote was tainted, prejudicial and unfair.

While Vision may have significant more numbers than NPA, this means nothing if the Vision vote is deemed unfair because as citizens know, the NPA vote and the selection of Councillor Peter Ladner over Mayor Sam Sullivan was considered by all parties to be a legitimate and fair outcome.

VISION HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VOTE

As being reported by esteemed Straight editor, Charlie Smith,there are a number of problems occurring with the Vision vote today. Here is what Mr. Smith has stated:

"People are being pestered for identification and in some cases, there have been attempts to prevent from voting because they didn't have photo identification (see the Straight.com news story today by Carlito Pablo at www.straight.com).

This isn't going to help Vision Vancouver's efforts to present itself to local voters as a more inclusive party".

Wow so Vision has touted how they are this inclusive broad-based party yet are denying many citizens from an ethnic background their democratic right to exercise their vote.

Shame on Vision for taking membership fees and disallowing members to vote. Tacky. Real tacky.

MAINSTREAM PRESS PRESENT INACCURATE NUMBERS

Oldtown NewsVancouver, BC

MAINSTREAM PRESS PRESENT INACCURATE NUMBERS

Over at the Vision nomination meeting today, Frances Bula of the Vancouver Sun has stated that up until 12:30 pm, 3,350 Vision members have voted whereas Irwin Loy of 24 Hours has reported that as of 11 am, 4000 Vision members had cast ballots.

News has been coming out that Vision has had difficulty running its voting day convention but these numbers which I assume Mr. Loy and Ms Bula received from Vision, are way off.

Only Vision could projct a decrease in number of voters in one and a half hours of a staggering 650 votes. It appears Vision isn't that great at adding up figures and imagine what they might do if they are entrusted to oversee the public's money?